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Amref – An African success story

Amref Health Africa is Africa’s leading health development organisation, bringing good quality health care closer to those who need it most. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Amref Health Africa is a truly African organisation whose vision is lasting health change in Africa. For its work the organisation has won several high-profile international awards such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Award for Global Health.

In 1957, three doctors drew up a groundbreaking plan to provide medical assistance to remote regions of East Africa. Spurred by what they had seen of the combined effects of poverty, tropical disease and a lack of adequate health services in East Africa, they saw an air-based service as the only way to get health care to remote communities. The Flying Doctors Service was born.

Development from within
The stories of disaster in Africa are all too familiar. However, behind the news headlines there are millions of Africans who are working tirelessly to take control of their health and their lives – and, with help from organisations like Amref Health Africa, they are succeeding. More than 1,000 employees are working for Amref Health Africa in Africa and 95 % of them are African people. To achieve lasting health change on the continent, it is essential to build up local health systems.

Our focus

Amref Health Africa works for the most vulnerable groups in in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Senegal and Guinea, including nomadic people and slum dwellers. In addition, we offer technical support and expertise to health organizations working in other African countries.

We focus our programs and strategies on two main themes, one of which is sexual and reproductive health. This includes pregnancy, birth, family planning as well as hiv/aids, all of which still cause widespread health problems in Africa. The second theme is environmental health, including safe water as well as sanitation and hygiene.

Our method

We work with communities as well as local and national authorities, in order to make our programs as effective as possible. On the community level, we consult with the local population and empower them to make their own improvements in the health system. We train health volunteers as well as professional health workers, enabling them to spread their knowledge. Also, we assist the public sector, including governments, in making sustainable improvements in the health care system. On an international level, we contribute to political and NGO forums on health in developing countries.

German companies: social commitment in Africa
Amref Health Africa is excellently linked in Africa and interested in partnerships and PPPs with German companies that are doing business in South Africa, Malawi or Mozambique. A partnership with a truly African NGO like Amref Health Africa will not only bring visibility of corporate social commitment but also form a link with local authorities and goverments, improve the health-situation as well as provide healthcare for the corporate employees.